4 The project of comfort
4.3 Office project
The office project was carried out to achieve the level of comfort in all the four domains, ensuring its maintenance where it was already achieved with the current state. For this reason, the critical issues and needs relating to single domains have been taken into consideration and have been combined to obtain a unitary improvement. In this work of thesis, building systems have not been dimensioned.
Given the historical period in which this thesis work was carried out, the new needs that arose from the spread of Covid-19 were also taken into consideration. The required social distance is at least one meter according to UNI 11534:2020, for front and side distances. Therefore, differentiated flows, low levels of density and spacing of the desks were fundamental for guaranteeing the maintenance of workers’ safety conditions. However, thanks to the project, an increase in occupants’ number from three to four can be expected.
The choice of materials was also driven by new needs that arose in the last year: the topic of biophilia has been subject of great attention by research for the improvement of indoor office conditions. For this reason, desk plants have been put to separate desks from each other and provide workers with privacy, contact with nature and distancing. The use of materials and colours that can bring back to nature, as well as the possibility of having direct contact with the outside space are, today more than ever, necessary requirements in office spaces.
Equally important is environmental sustainability topic, a decisive guide in the choice of materials. The search for low-emission materials, derived from renewable sources and produced in Valle d’Aosta, to reduce emissions associated to transportation from the factory to the worksite, has been pursued.
The project consists in the realization of an external coat and in the insulation of the roof. The choice fell on these solutions, that allow to avoid demolitions, to make the most of the existing stratigraphy, reduce the amount of work required and reduce the amount of waste material produced, with a view to environmental and economic sustainability. The windows have also been changed to achieve better performance.
The insulating material, used to improve indoor conditions, is cellulose fibre in panels, excellent thermal insulating thanks to its porous structure, able to reduce heat dispersion. These panels are breathable and hygroscopic, with
a good soundproofing power and in addiction do not contain substances irritant or dangerous for health. The raw material is paper recycled, thus the energy expenditure to produce it is very low. During the process an antiparasitic and fireproofing treatment is carried out, however it is a no-toxic and ecologic material.
In order to reduce the environmental impact due to transportation, for the furniture and floor, larch was chosen. It is a wood widely used in Valle d’Aosta.
Walls, realized with gypsum, have colours able to recall nature.
The ceiling, with excellent acoustic performance, is realized with a mono slab, for esthetic reason, avoiding joint points. Desks orientation is chosen to favor better illuminance and to guarantee outside view, while shelves are near the wall between the two doors, to leave wide space in the center.
Office layout is thought to be flexible and comfortable, able to create different scenarios that meet the necessities of the employers.
Office plan, scale 1:50
+ 350
A’
0 0.5 1 2
m
Section AA’, scale 1:50
+ 350
+ 695 00.512 m
Figure 21: office view.
Figure 22: office features
Natural colours
5 windows Double glass Aluminium-wood
frame
Integrated window shading:
roller shade
External window shading:
roll-up shutters
Cellulose insulation
4 suspended luminaires 9 spotlights
LED
Acoustic ceiling N. occupants
4 N. workstations
4 Parquet and wood furnitures
4.3.1 Opaque and transparent envelope
4.3.1.1 Abacus scale 1:20
ROOF
Thikness: 74.30 cm U-value: 0.22 W/(m2K) Rw: 68.00 dB
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
5 1
6 2 7 3 8 4
9 1011 13 12
1415 16
3.0 cm 2.0 cm 1.0 cm
8.0 cm 3.0 cm 2.0 cm 1.0 cm
2.0 cm 2.0 cm 4.0 cm 16.0 cm 2.0 cm 20.0 cm 3.8 cm 4.0 cm 0.5 cm 1. Outdoor flooring
2. Cement mortar 3. Bituminous
waterproofing membrane 4. Cellulose
insulation 5. Outdoor flooring 6. Polystyrene
insulating panel 7. Bituminous
waterproofing membrane 8. Concrete screed 9. Cement mortar 10. Reinforced
concrete
11. Concrete beams-brick blocks 12. Render 13. Air
14. False ceiling structure 15. Mono Acoustic
panel (rockwool) 16. Render Mono
Acoustic
103 EXTERNAL WALL
Thikness: 45.00 cm U-value: 0.25 W/(m2K) Rw: 47.00 dB
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
3 56 7 12 4
1. Gypsum 2. Cement mortar 3. Fibreglass 4. Concrete 5. Cellulose
insulation 6. Bituminous
waterproofing membrane 7. Render
3.0 cm 1.0 cm 4.0 cm 27.0 cm 8.0 cm 1.0 cm
2.0 cm
INTERNAL WALL Thikness: 14.00 cm Rw: 59.4 dB
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
3 1 2
1. Gypsum 2. Cellulose
insulation 3. Gypsum
3.0 cm 8.0 cm 3.0 cm
INTERNAL SLAB Thikness: 35.00 cm Rw: 51.00 dB
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI REALIZZATO CON UN PRODOTTO AUTODESK VERSIONE PER STUDENTI
1 2 4 3
5 6
1. Parquet
2. Cement mortar 3. Acoustic mat 4. Concrete screed 5. Predalles lattice
slab (concrete, 6. RenderEPS)
1.0 cm 3.0 cm 0.7 cm 24.0 cm
2.0 cm
4.3.1.2 Window properties
Figure 23: project window and shadings properties
For the project two different kinds of luminaires have been chosen, in order to ensure the illuminance level (lx) on desks required by standard EN 16798 for the specific visual task of this office (writing, typing, reading, data processing) and in order to provide the possibility to have general lighting when occupants don’t have to perform that specific visual task. Suspended luminaires and spotlights have been put as shown in Figure 24. The former are at 1.45 m height above desks, the latter are embedded in the false ceiling.
External shading
Roll-up swiveling shutters Internal shading
Interior roller shade Frame
Aluminium-wood Glass
Double glazing, argon in cavity SHGC: 0.60
t: 0.57 tvis: 0.80
Figure 24: luminaires positioning scheme
Due to the presence of two different kinds of luminaires, many scenarios of electric lighting are possible. Three of them are then presented.
AA’AA’
Suspended luminaires Spotlights
0 0.5 1 2
m
Figure 25: only suspended luminaires are switched on.
Figure 26: only spotlights are switched on.
0 0.5 1 2
m
Figure 27: both suspended luminaires and spotlights are switched on.